Quote of the Week

"If you are passionate about something, inspiration is all around you.  It shows up on any given day and in every possible way.  When your passion fades, inspiration stops revealing itself."

- Kyle Bunting 

 IMAGE CREDITS: GEMMA COMAS; ELVA FIELDS; ART.COM

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Hello and happy Tuesday. Did you do anything fun over the long weekend? My husband and I had a nice time relaxing by the pool, barbecuing and spending time with family. I spent a majority of my day yesterday watching Sex & the City re-runs on TV (I'll never tire of watching SATC, even if I've seen every episode 15 times!). I opened up the windows in our living room to let in the fresh air and lazily napped on the sofa under a cozy blanket. I NEVER take naps, mostly because I feel like I should always be doing something productive, but yesterday was much needed and felt wonderful :) Please visit again tomorrow to enter an exciting giveaway that I just know you're going to LOVE! Have a great week!

Get the Look: Vintage Modern

There's something so charming and nostalgic about adding vintage & antique pieces to your home. When everything in a space is brand-new, it's usually quite obvious and takes some time before the room starts to feel "broken in." By mixing in a vintage chair, artwork, bookcase, accessory, etc., with modern, classic and transitional pieces, you can create a chic and timeless look. You just have to have the right balance of new and old - too many antique pieces can end up looking dated.  If you take the time to scour thrift shops, flea markets, Craig's List, and garage sales, you can find some incredible and inexpensive items. What vintage piece(s) have you purchased for your home that you absolutely love? Did you get a good deal or did you splurge on something really special? I love hearing your thoughts! 

On that note, have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Do you have anything fun planned? I can't wait to relax by the pool and get started on my summer tan! This girl needs some color :) xoxo - Julie

IMAGE CREDITS VIA CANADIAN HOUSE & HOME (VINTAGE CHIC PHOTO GALLERY)

Inspiration Snapshot: Vibrant Blue + Crisp White Living Room

If you read my blog, you probably know that I'm a big advocate for using color and not being afraid of it. That being said, it would take some serious courage for me to paint an entire living room a color this bold! Although it's extremely vibrant and borderline "electric", I actually really like it.  It's a fresh, cheerful shade of blue that adds energy to the space. The bright pops of white along with the neutral carpet and sofa, really help break up the intense color. The only part I'm not so crazy about it how they purposely didn't paint all the way up to the ceiling, leaving a rough, uneven border around the room. Looking at that everyday would probably drive me nuts! What do you think about this space, paint color, border, accents...?

IMAGE CREDITS: HOUSE TO HOME

DIY Furniture Makeovers

I've been busy finalizing the design of the room I'm decorating for the Good Shepherd Charity Design Project, which I start on next week (is it really almost JUNE?!).  I blogged about this amazing project a couple of months ago and have been obsessing about how I'm going to design the space ever since. It's basically a small bedroom, about 12' x 14' in size, with 1 to 2 windows. We are required to have certain pieces of furniture in the space (bed, desk, nightstand, etc.), but the rest is completely up to us. The sky's the limit, as long as the end result is functional, livable and of course, beautiful! Because this project is entirely pro bono, many of us have been relying on vendors, designers, family & friends to donate goods that we might be able to use. I just scored a tall chest of drawers for free...but this piece of furniture is going to need some serious love and attention, along with a couple of other things I plan on using.  To get the creative juices flowing, I decided to search online for inspiration and found some wonderful DIY Before & Afters; all using old furniture, fresh paint and new fabric. Aren't these some of the best DIY ideas you've seen? I'm so excited, I can't wait to get started! Have you re-painted / re-upholstered any furniture yourself? How did it turn out?

{Before & After: Create a unique dining space with mismatched chairs - details here}

 {Before & After: Old, outdated bench turned fresh and modern - details here}

 {Before & After: DIY Chalkboard tabletop (love this idea!) - details here}

{Before & After: Awkward bookcase, turned stylish cabinet and work station - details here}

{Before & After: Old, junky headboard and footboard transformed into a chic loveseat! - details here}

{Before & After: An ugly laminated wood cabinet gets a complete makeover - what a transformation! Details here}
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IMAGE & PROJECT CREDITS: HOUZZ & BHG

Quote of the Week

"In the most successful spaces, you don’t see everything at once. The more time you spend in them, the more you discover. They open up like flowers."

— Vicente Wolf

 IMAGE CREDITS: ELLE DECOR

Fresh Finds for the Home on Etsy

Etsy is one of my favorite places to find anything and everything unique. Today I browsed through several shops found a few little gems I thought I'd share with you. Do you have an Etsy shop and/or a favorite shop? If so, feel free to leave leave a comment about it! There are so many sellers & products, sometimes it's hard to find the really great ones. Have a fabulous weekend!

{The Loft Collection via Modern Art Every Day}

{Ottoman Pouf in gray & white chevron via Aletafae on Etsy}

{Indoor/Outdoor Concrete Planter via Tortoise Loves Donkey}

{Decorative Pillow Covers in Citrine via Nina Von}

{Refurbished Furniture & Vintage Goods via Mint Home}

Timeless Trend: Vintage Gold Gilt Mirrors

Recently I was on the hunt for a mirror to hang over my client's fireplace in a room with 20ft. ceilings, and one of the options I presented was an over-sized gold gilt mirror, bordering "gaudy" but ever so glamorous. Now everywhere I look, that's all I seem to notice - vintage gold gilt mirrors hung in just about every type of interior. Modern, traditional, eclectic, country...this timeless and transitional mirror trend is here to stay! What do you think about this mirror style? Do you have one of these beauties in your home?

IMAGE CREDITS: HOUSE BEAUTIFUL; DECORPAD; ELLE DECOR

A Closer Look: A Chic Living Room

How many times have you come across a room that's really caught your eye and "wowed" you? If you read other blogs, design magazines and design books as much as I do, it probably happens quite often! Do you ever stop to actually study the space and figure out why everything works so well together?  There's definitely a "formula" to every design and specific reasons why a room looks amazing when completed. I came across this bright and colorful living room via Country Living and decided to take a closer look at why everything works so well together. It may seem pretty basic, but every space has several layers, beginning with the wall color, flooring, ceiling, and so on. Here's a closer look at the things I noticed...

{The Living Room - bright, colorful and fresh}

The designer created a neutral backdrop, starting with nearly white walls and several upholstered pieces in neutral shades of tan, grey and cream. Creating a room with a neutral base gives you flexibility with accent colors and allows you to change things up when you get bored.

Although nothing quite matches, the colorful accents and modern fabric prints all work very well together. I especially love the orange tray on the upholstered ottoman - it adds a bold pop of color; any other color, such as green or yellow, wouldn't have had the same effect. The subtle robins-egg blue color is repeated a few times in the rug, chair and end table, which helps visually tie everything together and gives the space a touch of continuity. What else do notice about this space?  What's your design process when pulling a space together? 

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IMAGE CREDIT: COUNTRY LIVING